The British Paralympic Association (BPA) has a duty of care to safeguard and promote the welfare of members who are under the age of eighteen.
The BPA is committed to:
• Making the welfare of children paramount. This means that the need to ensure that children are protected is a primary consideration and may override the rights and needs of those adults working with them
• Enabling everyone whatever their age, culture, disability, gender, language, racial origin, religious belief and/or sexual identity to participate in BPA organised activities in a fun and safe environment
• Taking all reasonable steps to protect children from harm, discrimination and degrading treatment and to respect their rights, wishes and feelings
• Taking seriously all concerns and allegations of poor practice or abuse and responding swiftly and appropriately to them in accordance with current procedures
• Ensuring that all BPA employees and consultants who work with children are appropriate for their role and responsibilities and are provided with relevant training
• Recognising that children and families from minority group backgrounds may face additional barriers to accessing help and reporting concerns in respect of safeguarding issues.
British Paralympic Association Safeguarding Officers
The BPA has a Lead Safeguarding Officer and a Deputy Safeguarding Officer who have responsibility for Safeguarding at the British Paralympic Association. They have undertaken relevant training with the CPSU.
Lead Safeguarding Officer
Kate Eddy
Athlete Services Manager
Kate.Eddy@paralympics.org.uk
Deputy Safeguarding Officer
Joanna Wright
Performance Services Officer
Joanna.Wright@paralympics.org.uk
Safeguarding and Protecting Children Policy
This policy forms part of the staff induction at the BPA and can be found here: http://paralympics.org.uk/about-us/policies
Reporting concerns
The British Paralympic Association has clear procedures for reporting concerns for a child both in and outside of a sports environment.
Reporting procedures can be found in Appendix Four and Five of the Safeguarding and Protecting Children Policy (link above).
Safe Recruitment Practice
BPA will ensure that all reasonable steps are taken to prevent unsuitable people from working with children.
All volunteers and employees working in a role that involves significant access to children, or where they hold a Position of Trust, or existing volunteers or employees who change their role to work with children, are required to complete a vetting process as outlined in the safeguarding policy in 5.1 Safe Recruitment Practice.
Awareness and Training
In addition to pre-selection checks, the safeguarding process includes training after recruitment to help staff and volunteers for BPA and ParalympicsGB to:
• Analyse their own practice against established good practice, and to ensure their practice is not likely to result in allegations being made.
• Recognise their responsibilities and report any concerns about suspected poor practice or possible abuse.
• Respond to concerns expressed by a child.
• Work safely and effectively with children.
Information for parents
Information regarding questions to ask and things to look out for when choosing a sports club for your child can be found here: https://thecpsu.org.uk/help-advice/related-information/information-for-parents-and-carers/
Contacting your National Governing Body
Contact information for NGBs can be found here: https://thecpsu.org.uk/help-advice/deal-with-a-concern#who-can-support-you
Who can support you?
NSPCC
Worried about a child? Advice and support whenever you need it.
Tel: 0808 800 5000
ChildLine
A free and confidential helpline for children who have concerns.
Tel: 0800 1111
The Safe Network
Safeguarding information and advice for the voluntary and community sector - from after school art clubs to weekend reading groups.
Tel: 0845 608 5404 or email enquiries@safenetwork.org.uk
Child protection, safeguarding and government
Access Northern Ireland
Tel: 0300 200 7888 or email accessni@ani.x.gsi.gov.uk
Anti-bullying Alliance
Tel: 0207 843 1901 or email aba@ncb.org.uk
Beat Bullying
Tel: 0208 771 3377 or email info@beatbullying.org
Bullying UK
Tel: 0808 800 2222 or email help@bullying.co.uk
Children 1ST (Scotland)
Tel: 0131 446 2300 or email info@children1st.org.uk
Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP)
Tel: 0870 000 3344
Contact Youth Counselling - Northern Ireland
Tel: 0289 074 4499 or email info@contactyouth.org
County Sports Partnerships Network (CSP Network)
CSP Network contacts
Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS)
Tel: 0207 211 6000 or email enquiries@culture.gov.uk
Department for Education (DfE)
Tel: 0370 000 2288
Disclosure and Barring Service (formally Criminal Records Bureau)
Tel: 0870 909 0811
Family Lives
Tel: 0808 800 2222
Home Office
Useful contact information for government services, please visit Contact us page
Internet Watch Foundation
Tel: 0122 323 7700 or email information@iwf.org.uk
Kidscape
Tel: 0845 120 5204 or email webinfo@kidscape.org.uk
National Children's Bureau (NCB)
Tel: 0207 843 6000 or email enquiries@ncb.org.uk
Northern Ireland Commissioner for Children and Young People
Tel: 0289 031 1616 or email info@niccy.org
Parenting NI
Tel: 0808 801 0722
Women's Aid
Tel: 0808 200 0247 or email helpline@womensaid.org.uk
Sports organisations
Association for Physical Education (AfPE)
Tel: 0190 585 5584 or email enquiries@afpe.org.uk
Coaching Ireland
Tel: +353 61 202895 or email info@coachingireland.com
Coachwise
Tel: 0113 231 1310 or email enquiries@coachwise.ltd.uk
Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity (IMSPA)
Tel: 0150 922 6474 or email info@imspa.co.uk
Sport England
Tel: 0845 850 8508 or email info@sportengland.org
Sport Northern Ireland
Tel: 0289 038 1222 or email info@sportni.net
Sport Wales
Tel: 0845 045 0904 or email info@sportwales.org.uk
Sport and Recreation Alliance
Tel: 0207 976 3900 or email info@sportandrecreation.org.uk
sports coach UK
Tel: 0113 274 4802 or email coaching@sportscoachuk.org
sportscotland
Tel: 0141 534 6500 or email sportscotland.enquiries@sportscotland.org.uk
Youth Sport Trust (YST)
Tel: 0150 922 6600 or email info@youthsporttrust.org